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A92842 Antinomianisme anatomized. Or, A glasse for the lawlesse: who deny the ruling use of the morall law unto Christians under the gospel. / By John Sedgwick, B.D. and Pastor of the Church of God at Alphag, neer Cripple-gate London. Sedgwick, John, 1600 or 1601-1643. 1643 (1643) Wing S2359; Thomason E63_5; ESTC R4740 39,115 56

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Covenant of Works unto the sons of men nay we finde that there were mercifull and Evangelicall intentions in God in giving the same as may appear in the Preface to the Commandments in his Preaching Christ to Adam in Paradice immediatly upon the fall and in his ordering that it should be a means to beat man out of himself and to bring him unto Christ Yet when I look upon Adams Law as it was a rule of life and obedience unto him in this respect they do agree virtually the Law given to Adam and received by Moses was one and the same the minde of God for dutie being constant and perpetuall one at all times and in all places according as we pray Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Reas 2 Secondly Mans natur● hath this Law written and engraven indelebly in it I will not dispute whether the Law of Nature be a relique of the old image left in Adam of this I am sure That the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things Rom 2. 14 contained in the Law these having not the Law are a Law unto 15 themselves which shew the work of the Law written in their hearts Out of which Scripture it is clear that God presently upon the Fall planted in the heart of all mankinde not onely The Law of Nature what an opinion of Divine Soveraignty and authority but a knowledge of certain practicall Principles in an obliging and prosecuting way Thus in a word the understanding and judgement which is called the Speculative facultie was and is enabled with an apprehension and conception of things to be done and to be forborn as their honestie and dishonestie did appear the conscience and will which is called the Practicall facultie had imprinted on it a desire or endeavour to prosecute all those things which should be revealed to the understanding they reasoned from their light to their life inferring the practice of all revealed principles Mat. 7. 12. Now this Law had such a firm and fast engraving in man● understanding and conscience by God himself that iniquity it self cannot eradicate or obliterate the same it is written in mans nature as with a pen of iron for ever to remain with the nature of mankinde and this is no other then a Summary or Abridgement of the Morall Law for the Law of Moses written in Tables of stone materially is no other then what was written or imprinted in the heart according to the rule Praecepta Decalogi sunt explicationes juris naturae The Law Morall The difference that is between the Law of Nature and the Law of Adam and Moses is the explication of the Law Naturall I grant that this Law of Nature by reason of mans corruption and preposterousnesse of affection is not so clear perfect and easie as was the Law in Creation to Adam for he had in his created estate a more shining light quick apprehension steadie will and able resolution then his posterity naturally now have nay this Law of Nature doth in many circumstances differ from the Law Morall v. g. This we have by infusion that by publike voice This is written in tables of flesh that in tables of stone This containeth dutie impliedly without method and order that expresly and orderly c. The Argument lies thus If God hath indelebly written the Morall Law in mans nature then the Doctrine of the Gospel doth not make it void but God c. Reas 3 Thirdly The Morall Law is a Doctrine spirituall holy good just and perfectly containing the good and acceptable will of God and therefore not to be made void that it is a Doctrine the Hebrew word Torah will make evident it being derived of Horah which signifies to teach and to instruct how to live and how to walk even as a School-master doth teach his Scholers what is evil and how to avoid it what is good and how to do it that it is spirituall holy good and just The Rom. 7. 12 14. Apostle saith We know that the Law is spirituall And Wherefore the commandment is holy and just and good And thus it is not onely originally as the holy good and just God who is a spirit is the Authour of it but also materially and effectively it is pure and undefiled free from all stain of errour and falshood having not the least iniquity cleaving to it it carrieth in it the good and acceptable will of God it is indeed the wisdom and the will of God the Law is not good and then willed of God but it is good because it is willed of God whose will alone is the rule of all goodnesse yea and men by it become Spirituall holy good and just Now if it be every way absolute and perfect as it is stiled The perfect Law of Liberty there can be no reason rendred why it should be abolished I conceive that the law-Maker was in wisdom infinite and so he did foresee before-hand how to prevent any inconvenience which might fall upon it and become a reason to abrogate it shew me the least flaw in the Morall Law as it stands a rule for duty and then you may talk rationally of disannulling it Will you take upon you to make void and of none effect that which is holy and good Reas 4 Fourthly the Morall Law of God is perpetuall and unchangeable even that which must endure for ever Psal 119. 89. Christ saith Till heaven and earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law Mat. 5. 18. It is of an unperishing nature you may as soon destroy God himself as destroy that though mans Laws may be repealed Gods Laws admit of no repeal had it been a temporary Ordinance then it might have been made void Reas 5 Fifthly The Law is universally extensive The commands thereof are commands to all Christians in all ages now look how farre any Commandment extends so farre doth obedience thereunto extend it self If the Morall Law reach to us Christians as well as to the Jews then we stand obliged by it now to make it evident that this Law concerned all men even us The extensivenesse of the Law to Jews and Gentiles Christians under the Gospel consider 1. The Morall Law was no Type of Christ neither did it concern the Jew onely as he was a Jew if so then the Jew onely did sin in Idolatry and Adultery and the Gentiles did not I demand What Law of God did forbid these sins Did not the Morall Law It did And will you say that the Jew onely was tied to it If he was not then the Gentiles came in also and so the Commandment concerned them which must be yeelded unlesse you will say that the Gentiles did not sin by Idolatry Adultery c. 2. The Gentiles heretofore did and Christians now do sin in breaking the Morall Law for all sin is the transgression of the 1 Jo. 3. 4. Law
of abusing holy Doctrines ariseth First from Satan who bearing extream malice unto all holy Truthes doth not onely sowe tares but blemisheth as much as he can the good grain from the beginning he hath been a disturber corrupter and perverter of all holy and wholsome Doctrines Secondly from mans ignorance of the nature end and use of all holy Doctrines Learning hath no greater enemy then Ignorance Light hath not any contrary but darknesse and wholsome Doctrines no greater depraver or mistaker then ignorance They speak evil of those things they know not Jude v. 10. Thirdly from that horrible pride which is crept into mens mindes and hearts Pride hath been and is the seed of all the Heresies in the world none ever perverted Doctrine more then Hereticks and none have been more proud then those this I have observed That its the nature of Pride to be singular in opinion as well as in action it will be hatching of new opinions and upstart principles then it bends the entire force of all its parts to under-prop and swathe all the wilde and loose births of its own fancie next with a stately insolencie it brings abroad the Brat vents it in publique to the view applause and acceptation of the foolish and ignorant then it begins to wry and wr●st all truths to it self which if it cannot do it doth declaim against and trample under-foot the same scorning Articles of Churches Determinations of Councels Suffrages of Fathers and which is more the Testimony of the Scripture it self Fourthly from mans love of licentiousnesse lawlesse libertie cannot stand within the compasse of sound Doctrine now that men may have a liberty to themselves in sinning they raise Objections against and study the diversions of holy Truths the Whore blows out the candle that she may not be espied the fish Polypus muds the water that she may not be taken and men of loose spirits do cry down and pervert holy Truths that they may the more freely sin and be wicked But I pray you what is the other thing you took notice of Nomist. Doct. 2 2. The second is this The right temper of a gracious and well informed spirit which is to make all unsound and licentious Inferences from holy Doctrines hatefull and displeasing to it self I see the tendernesse of Pauls spirit rejecting with Apostolicall indignation the lawlesse Inference of vain men Evangelist You have spoken the truth and each Christian should learn from the Apostle 1. In his judgement to disallow 2. With his heart to abominate 3. By his speech to declaim against 4. By all endeavours to suppresse and silence all false deductions from holy Doctrines Truth should be precious and lovely to us but errour vile and abominable we are enemies to Truth so far as we are friends with errour Oh that men would know That it is a great sin to be taken with odde and new Opinions and to forsake old Truths for new errours I wish that you and all my friends would try before you trust winter and summer new men and their new doctrines Bring them to the Law and the Testimony Nomist I thank you for this help and now I shall desire you to open to me the tearms of the Text which being truely done will give much satisfaction to such who seek the truth in love I pray tell me what doth the Apostle mean by faith which is the thing that doth not make void the Law Evangelist There can be but one of these two meanings in the word either we take it for habituall and actuall faith which is called A double Faith 1. Habituall fides qua namely That grace wrought by the Spirit in the soul inclining it to the application of Jesus Christ and his righteousnesse which grace is the condition of the Covenant of grace and the appointed Instrument to apprehend justifying righteousnesse as along in this Scripture the Apostle sheweth Or we must take it for Doctrinall Faith which is called 2 Doctrinall fides quae namely That Gospel or Covenant Doctrine which propounded free grace sets up Jesus Christ in all his Offices Merits and Vertues to poor believing sinners Now take the Apostle either way and he holds That neither the grace of Faith nor the doctrine of Faith doth make void the Law of God Nomist. Tell me what is that Law which this Faith doth not make void Evangelist You must know that there were three sorts of Laws delivered A threefold Law by God to Moses 1. Ceremoniall which were temporary Ordinances and Rites really pointing to Christ of whom they were figures and shadows and by whose presence and death they were all fulfilled terminated and abrogated Christ was finis inter ficiens legis Ceremonialis so that the law of Ceremonies was made void by the Doctrine of faith and therefore this law cannot be here meant 2. Judiciall which were peculiar Ordinances given by God to Moses for the well ordering of the Common-wealth of Israel This Law concerned the Jews not simply as men but as Jews the Nationall personall or particular binding right of this Law rested so in them that it died with the decay of their Common-wealth onely the common equity or right hereof remaineth i as far as it was grounded on the Law of Nature served directly to confirm any of the Ten Commandments or to uphold the good of Family Church or Common-wealth it is still in force and of good use but of this Law the Apostle in this Scripture makes no mention Now if he speak not of the Law Ceremoniall nor of the Law Judiciall it followeth that we must understand him speaking of the Law 3. Morrall and that not as it is a rule of Justification but a rule of Service and Obedience the whole compasse of mans duty respectively to be manifested is principally contained in the Law Morrall which is no other then the revealed Copy of The Morall Law what Gods will touching mans dutie laid down in the ten Commandments if we do cast our eyes upon the scope of the Apostle it will be very evident that he speaketh of this Law for he deals against such who sought to be justified and saved by the works of the Law and not by faith in Jesus Christ they went about to set up the Law of Works and to destroy the Law of Faith Now Paul sheweth that no mans conformity to the Morall Law could be matter of life and justification unto him in Gods sight The Law by sin is become weak and unprofitable to the purpose of righteousnesse it could not be a covenant of life unto man now having excluded it from being a covenant of life to sinners there were those who would have it to be disannulled from being a rule of life unto men which the Apostle will not admit of so that its plain that the vindication is of the Morall Law that as a rule of life is not made void unto Christians Nomist How shall I understand
the Apostle when he denieth the making void of the Law by Faith Evangelist I shall open it thus unto you 1. By shewing to you what it is to make void the Law which doth note The taking away from the Law all regulating or directive power over mans life and actions when it is held to be uselesse or of no more effect unto Christians then an Almanack The making void the Law what that is out of date or to be a Doctrine inconsistent with or repugnant unto the Doctrine of Free Grace this is the making of it void Now then take it up thus That the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Doctrine of the Law though for matter they are distinct and divers y●t they are not so divided and opposite but that they both may be well admitted into the Ministery and taught unto Christians they are so farre from reall contradiction that they ho●d a friendly concurrence in point of dutie they are not destructive nor devouring one unto another but sweetly co-ordinate standing more firmly one by the other 2. By declaring whether the Morall Law in no respect is not made void by the Doctrine and grace of Faith And here consider if we look upon the Morall Law in that notion as it was given to Adam in Paradice I mean as it was a Covenant of Works or as the Covenant thereof was Works so that whosoever would receive life and salvation must perform perfect obedience to the same according as it is written He that doth Gal 3. 12. these things shall live in them And again Moses describes the Rom. 10 5 righteousnesse which is of the Law That the man which doth these things shall live by them in this sence as it was given to Adam in Paradice to justifie or save men the Doctrine of Faith doth make void the Morall Law I will not stand disputing whether the Law as given by Moses could have given life and righteousnesse or whether God did primarily intend in publshing this Law by Moses on mount Sinai to send man to fetch his life out of the Law this we know that what ever strength there is in the Law ex se Yet by reason of sin it is weakned and it is impossible that life and salvation should come to man by it as the case now stands it was long since concluded That by the Works of the Law there shall no Rom 3 20. flesh be justified in his sight And Paul confesseth We are become Rom. 7. 4. Gal 2. 19. dead to the Law by the body of Christ And again I through the Law am dead to the Law We constantly teach That every Christian by the Gospel is freed from expecting life by any obedience to the Law Again if we look upon the Morall Law in its execration and as it is enabled with a power to curse men to hell for their sins I say as it is a sentencing killing and death-ministring Letter the Gospel hath made it void unto beleevers it hath no power to fasten the curse of heaven upon the person of any beleever though all their sins are cursed sins even such as deserve the grand curses of the Law yet no curse for sin can come from the Law upon them the curse of the Law seized on Christ to the utmost that the blessing might befall them Further if we shall look upon the Law in its strictnesse and rigour as it hath a power to challenge and exact a punctuall and personall obedience to it self without which it allows no man favour with God or life from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 8. 4. God then it is also made void by the Doctrine of Faith the right and strictnesse of the Law is fulfilled in us by our surety it s not expected that it should be fulfilled by us in our own persons Besides if we shall consider the Morall Law in its coactive or coercive power as it doth by fears and terrours wrought in the conscience urge and constrain an obedience to it self making men and women servile and slavish in all acts of dutie thus is it made void to beleevers under the Gospel I do not conceive that the Spirit of bondage or the Spirit of fear or the Spirit of unwillingnesse laies so upon a beleever that he must be forced to do required service nay rather he is a Law unto himself willingly performing what is right and required Luke 1. 74. Rom. 8. 15. 1 Tim. 1. 9. 2 Tim. 1. 7. 1 Joh. 5. 3. For this is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous To conclude if we shall consider the Law Morall in its irritation as it hath in it an accidentall or occasionall secret sin-provoking enraging or exasperating power whereby it stirs up in men an earnestnesse to the commission of sin thus is it made void to the beleever Consider that the Morall Law is not sin nor was it ordained to beget sin it is holy and just and good Rom. 7. 12. Yet such is the venemous and malicious quality which is in sin remaining in mans nature that if you for bid man any thing or limit him to do this or that dutie now his lust riseth up the more to desire that which is forbidden and swells over all the banks and baies which should confine it according to the old sayings Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata Gens humana ruit in vetitum nefas Men do many things which they would never have done had not God forbidden the same Our base natures take occasions from an holy Law to do wickedly this stirs them up to be more wicked but now lust hath no more such working in beleevers from the Law the Law cannot provoke a godly man to be more wicked nay rather if he see any commandment of God against him it is a sufficient discouragement to him to for bear that sin with Joseph he saith How can I do this great wickednesse Gen. 39 9. and sin against God 3. By shewing to you in what respects and unto whom the Morall Law is not made void by the Gospel And here we shall consider the Morall Law four wayes First in its Minatory part as it doth menace and threaten The Morall Law not made void four wayes men offending or transgressing the Doctrine of the Gospel doth not disa●le the Law from threatning sinners and telling them of the evil of punishment which is due to them for the evil of sinning We read how Paul once and again doth turn the flaming sword of the ●aw against his hearers in one place telling them That if they live after the flesh they should die Rom. 8. 13. And in another place he faith Knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade mer 2 Cor. 5. 11. I conceive that the threats of the Law are of much good use to the sons and daughters of men They do awaken and rouze them out of their securitie and
sinfulnesse I am of his opinion who would Chrysosto●● have hell preached daily unto men being perswaded it would prove an excellent means to keep many out of hell When I look upon that body of sin which remaineth in the best I cannot see but the threats of the Law may be of good use unto them not that I fancie Christians should be carried into and along duty by a spirit of fear as slaves that they must have the rod shaking over them or else they cannot or will not do dutie I know that they are led by a more free and ingenuous Spirit into acts of dutie namely by the Law of Love yet let me tell you That the carnall and unregenerate part of the godly needs this whip and harsh voice of the Law and I see no reason but a Christian may make that motive to himself which God makes motive unto him Secondly in its Promissory part as it doth propound many and great rewards unto the sons of men I finde that the Law doth not onely threaten thereby to terrifie men from sinning but it doth also propound and promise unto the sons of men certain rewards thereby to allure and draw them in to dutie we reade of shewing mercy to thousands of them that love him and keep his commandments And again the fifth Commandment is called The first Commandment with promise Ephes 6. 2. Surely the Doctrine of Faith doth not make void these promises in the Law nay it gives the Law a power to promise and alloweth that men may set the joy before them and have an eye to the recompence of reward though not chi●fly and principally or in a way of merit Thirdly in its Mandatory part and so it hath a power 1. Of Declaration to reveal and make known the will of God touching duties to teach tell and acquaint men with the same hence it is called a Lamp and a Light the Gospel doth continue it to be an eternall Doctrine teaching men what to do and how to live 2. Of Obligation it doth not onely command things honest and to be done but it doth tie men to yeeld obedience to it self for the Law-givers sake hence it is called Lex a Ligando for if you destroy the Obligation of the Law you make void the Law Now the Gospel will have it to be a ruling commanding and binding Law unto Christians it doth set up the authority of the Law Morall making it to be a Law indeed Fourthly in its Preparatory part and Office you must know that the Morall Law is a John the Baptist to make way for Christ a manuduction to Christ and Faith Paul saith Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by Faith Gal. 3. 24. I do not say that the Law formally doth beget Faith in Christ it doth it onely by way of Preparation and manuduction and that partly as it doth convince men of sin laying open to them that exceeding wickednesse which lieth upon the soul By the Law cometh the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 20. And I had not known that lust had been sin unlesse the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Rom. 7. 7. Hence is it compared to a glasse whose propertie is to represent those objects that present themselves before it in all their colours thus the holy Law doth yeeld up unto men by way of reflection the true and certain face and nature of their sinfulnesse it layes sin out and open in its true proportion and countenance the light doth not more demonstrate visible objects then the Law which is the candle of the Lord doth make known sins and that by the help of spirit and the use of conscience partly as it doth deject and humble men for sin the Law doth so open the debt and death of sin to the soul that it sees it self inclosed with the curse that belongs to sin and that Divine wrath is ready to pour it self o● him and how to avoid the same he knows not he is as a man shut up in a close room having his mortall enemy standing at the door with a drawn sword in his hand entring upon him thus the Law falls upon the conscience of a sinner whipping and tormenting him loading and burdening him laying him as it were upon the mouth of hell passing the doom of damnation upon him from which it can of it self no way deliver it self it leaves him a sinner without a Saviour without all hope of salvation Onely it is brought to this wishing O that there were any possiibility of mercy that I might be saved from this condition of insufferable misery Again we may consider the The Law is not made void 1. To unbelievers subjects in respect of whom the Law is not made void and they are of two sorts 1. Unbeleevers who are yet in the state of nature and to such the Law is enlightning a wakening judging and terrifying through the application of the curse and wrath The 1 Tim 1. 9 Law is made for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners c. It is their whip and rod to scourge them 2. Beleevers who are under Grace and Love and to such 2. To believers it is a glasse discovering their many hidden corruptions by which they may daily try and examine themselves it is their bridle to cohibite and restrain them from sinning it is their hedge and mound to keep them in order and due compasse in a word it is their rule by which they are to guide and moderate the inward and the outward conversation of soul and life And thus far it is not made void by the Doctrine of the Gospel Nomist Will you be pleased to demonstrate this a little farther unto me and my friend Evangelist I shall proove unto you that the Doctrine of Faith doth not make void the doctrine and duty of the Morall Law by these ten instances Reas 1 1. The Law Morall was given to Adam in the state of innocencie I say that Adam in the state of integrity was not without a Law nay nor without this Law for the substance of it though he was a righ●eous man and in his height of dignity yet he was commanded by the will of God and his work was to be ruled by the precept of God in all things as you may read Gen. 3 16. The Law Morall and the Law given to Adam was the same Law for the matter of duty as I look upon the Law given to Adam for a covenant of life and salvation God intending to give and tying him to expect life upon and for his obedience and withall do consider that God in justice might have h●ld his posterity to the same condition and covenant of works here I conceive that the Law given to Adam and the Law received by Moses are not one and the same for I think that God never intended that the Law given by Moses should become a
not blush to shew her face how to English your meaning about the Evangelizing of the Law in the hearts of believers I as yet cannot happily I may mistake your meaning when your Preachers have told you their sen●e I shall be able to give my answer As for that expression That they will not admit the Law to be a rule of life as Moses brought it down from Mount 〈◊〉 I think 〈◊〉 weare bound to the Law not for Moses sake but for the Law-givers sake surely the Law which Moses did deliver doth binde us to obedience let the Ministery of it be considered in its place and the matter of it regarded in its place still in whose hands soever we consider it it is a binding rule for duty yea and it bindes in this sense as much as it was in Moses hand as it is in the hand of any Mediatour this is but a shift let them discover the ground for this distinction out of Gods Word and I have done I mean That the Morall Law considered in the hand of Christ doth oblige to duty but not as it was in the hand of Moses we speak not of the terrour which did accompany the delivery of it on Mount Sinai but of the matter of it as given unto Moses consult Rivet and the Authors which are cited by him and let me if you be not satisfied with this Answer hear further from you Nomist I hope Sir ere you break off you will give us some councell and exhortation touching our respect to the Morall Law Evangelist Vse 4 Surely it is but need and indeed it was the closing use which I made of my discourse namely To teach men that it is a duty laying upon them to uphold and maintain the power and use of the Law for obedience and to this end I laid down these six rules 6 Wayes of maintaining the Law 1. That each Christian should spend some time in the right studying and thoughtfull meditation of the holy Law of God take the Book of the Law into your hand reade it peruse it till you come to understand each Commandment in its author matter meaning and use be not strangers unto the minde of God which is laid down in this Law hereby you shall gain acquaintance at home be made more vile in your eyes and become the better prepared to enjoy Christ with sweetnesse 2. That each Christian should look upon the Morall Law with a prizing eye making each Commandment precious and dead unto it self Honey was not so sweet nor Gold so pleasurable to David as was Gods Commandments he did esteem them above all things and so must we account highly and worthily of them this will shew that we reverence God himself may prove an excellent means of endearing our affections to them and keep off all scorn and contempton our parts from them 3. That each Christian should let out his affections to approve of and take delight in this Morall Law of God Paul Rom 7. 16. 22 did consent to the Law that it was good and did delight in it in his inner man And David prayeth Make me to go in the paths Ps 119. 35. of thy Commandments for thy Law is my delight It is the nature of faith to make every Commandment of God easie and welcome to the soul the Law considered as the Covenant of works was such a yoke as no man was able to bear but take it in the dutifull part of it and each Christian should with joy and delight bear it I delight to do thy will O my God q. d. Psal 40. O Lord this is that I would do and desire to do and am glad when I can do it 4. That each Christian should fear and tremble to sin against this holy Law of God I know that in many things we do and shall sin but yet we must fear to sin and take heed of willing or wilfull breaches of Gods Law sure I am That acts of disobedience to Gods Law may bring upon 1 Thes 4. 6 7. men many temporall afflictions Let no man defraud or go beyond his brother for God is an avenger of all such things 5. That each Christian should apply himself to be uprightly obedient to the Law of God we are to expresse an inward and an outward conformity to the holy Law of God knowing 4 Motives to obedience to the Law 1. That the Law was given to man that it might be kept and observed by man surely obedience was the main thing which God intended in giving the Law 2. That the consequent of keeping Gods Commandments is much gain and great reward obedience doth not merit yet the Scripture saith In keeping them there is great reward Psal 19. 11. Prov 7. 2. Isa 1. 19. Rom 2. 6 7 and we finde that many temporall and heavenly blessings are assured to such who are obedient to Gods will his mercy being From everlasting to everlasting on those who remember ●● Commandments to do them Psal 103 17 18. 3. That it is the glory of knowledge and the power of affections to obey the Commandments of God I conceive that knowledge is given us that we may be fit to obey and affections to stir us up to obedience and indeed we are very dishonourable to our selves and lose the glory and power of our understanding and affections if we fail willingly in our obedience to Gods Law hence saith God Keep them therefore and to them for this is D●ut 4. 6. your wisdom and understanding c. 4. That conscionable obedience is a spring of soul-consolation understand me rightly I do not say That a Christians comfort doth originally arise from his obedience to and observance of the Law neither doth it constantly spring hence for experience telleth us that many times much is done and yet little warmth or heat doth flow from it to the soul yet this is true That a Christians comforts are multiplied maintained and cherished is and from acts of sincere obedience to Gods Laws the heart is not so full of horrour and unquietnesse when it keeps close to duty as it would be when it hangs loose to or omits the same Nomist. What is the right way of obedience to Gods Laws Evang list Right obedience to Gods Law stands in 6 things It stands in these six things First To be humbly obedient humility of spirit is all in all in acts of duty and obedience we must cast off all thoughts of merit by duty done he that observes Gods Commands to deserve recompence and reward or doth pride himself in what he doth is far from the right observing Gods Laws Luke 17. 10. Secondly To be universally obedient Certainly there is such a thing as universall obedience Then shall I not be confounded Psal 119. 6 when I have respect to all thy Commandments ●aith David And it was the commendation of ●●chary and Elizabeth That they walked in all the 〈◊〉 and Ordinances